Simulating Impacts of ENSO and Climate Change on Sugarcane Production in Negros Occidental Province, Philippines

The Philippines is a global player in sugar cane production with Negros province, aka “sugarlandia”, accounting for 80% of national production. As changes in climatic conditions have and will continue to directly or indirectly affect sugarcane production, we should understand better how climate change and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events will impact production targets and future irrigation requirements. This paper demonstrates how a crop model can be used to assess the present and mid-century impacts of ENSO and climate change on sugarcane growth and productivity in Negros Occidental province, Philippines.